Company News

The latest news from companies at vesseltracker.com Pages.

TUI, co-owner of Hapag-Lloyd, asked Chinese group HNA and Oman's Onyx Investments to make binding bids for a stake in the shipping group by late May, three people close to the process told Reuters, JOC reports While the suitors are currently conducting due diligence, Hapag is simultaneously preparing a prospectus for an initial public offering based on first-quarter figures to put pressure on the bidders, one of the sources told Reuters. www.hellenicshipp...

China Shipping on Monday announced the completion of a major phase of its terminal expansion project at the Port of Los Angeles, XinHua reports. "We take great pride in the growth and success we've experienced at the Port of Los Angeles," said Chairman Li Shaode of China Shipping. "The completion of this critical phase allows for the berthing of two ships simultaneously and positively positions China Shipping and the Port for considerable growth opportunities." The project added a new 925-foot(282 meter) section of wharf, 18 additional acres (7.3 hectare) of backland and four state-of-the art container cranes that will increase cargo throughput, create jobs and reduce air emissions. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who attended an inauguration event held on the wharf, congratulated China Shipping on the project.

Juha Heikinheimo has today resigned from the position as President of STX Finland Oy, MarineLog reports. He will be replaced by Su-Jou Kim, who currently holds the position as Chairman of STX Finland. Su-Jou Kim will be temporary acting President of STX Finland. Mr. Heikinheimo took the job in July last year, when he replaced Martin Landtman, in circumstances that look pretty similar to those surrounding his own resignations. The company said today that STX Finland is going through very challenging times - in particular at the Turku shipyard - following the delivery of the "Allure of the Seas" in October 2010. Read more at MarineLog www.marinelog.com...

OOCL will begin a new service from the UK and Ireland to the Eastern Mediterranean and Indian Subcontinent on May 2nd, Eyefortransport reports. Port Said East will be served on a direct basis from Southampton, and from there onward service will be provided to Ashdod and Haifa (Israel) and Istanbul-Ambarli, Izmir and Mersin (Turkey). The Indian Subcontinent direct calls will be Port Qasim (Pakistan) and Nhava Sheva and Mundra (India).

Box line Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) has reported higher lifting volumes overall and revenues in the first quarter of this year, it said in a statement Tuesday. The Hong Kong-listed firm stated that total volumes increased 12.6% to 1.18m teu in the first quarter from the corresponding period last year, Sea News Asia reports.

Maersk Line announced an increase in its piracy risk surcharges imposed earlier on containers moving between the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Europe and Central/South America, starting May 1, Journal of Commerce reports. The revised surcharge on cargo shipped to and from the Indian subcontinent, Red Sea, Europe and the Mediterranean will be $110 per 40-foot equivalent unit.
For the trade between the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Red Sea, Central America, the Caribbean and South America East Coast, the new surcharge will be $170 per FEU. Source: PortNews

On April, 12th KOTUG´s newbuilding RotorTugs RT Champion and RT Leader arrived in Rotterdam. Both tugs have a length of 32 m, a width of 12 m, 7.200 BHP and a bollard pull of 85 tons. RT Champion and RT Leader are the 5th & 6th tugs respectively of a series of 6 sister vessels, all built at Niigata Shipbuilders, Japan, part of KOTUG´s comprehensive fleet extension and renewal program. The sister vessels left Niigata shipyard on 29th January 2011. RT Champion and RT Leader sailed under their own power to Rotterdam and arrived on 12th April 2011. Thereafter the tugs will be equipped and prepared to commence their towage activities in the port of Rotterdam.

Hanjin Shipping announced Thursday a rate restoration plan for Asia-Europe trades starting 15 May, Seatrade Asia reports. “Despite our utmost efforts to reduce costs, it is inevitable for us to restore rates in order to maintain service quality and schedule reliability in the midst of hiking operation expenses,” the South Korea-based shipping firm said in a statement. The new rates for the Far East to North Europe/Mediterranean route will be $200 per teu and $400 per feu. Rates on Southeast Asia/India sub-continent and Middle East to North Europe/Mediterranean will be $150 per teu and $300 per feu.

Hamburg-Sud, Germany's second largest ocean carrier and 13th in the world, returned to profit in 2010 from its first ever loss in 2009 as a resurgent world economy boosted cargo volume and bolstered freight rates, JOC online reports. The privately-held carrier didn't put a figure on a "pleasing result" in 2010 that was driven by a 23 percent surge in traffic to 2.9 million 20-foot equivalent units. Read more www.joc.com/marit...

Maersk will most likely exercise its option to order 10 more huge container ships to be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering in June, its chief executive said on Wednesday, Reuters reports. The world's largest container firm ordered ten 18,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit container ships in February with the option for another 20 similar vessels. Each vessel costs $190 million. "The first decision will come in June and we do expect we will exercise that option for an additional 10," Nils Andersen told reporters after an industry event in Singapore.